Can you post up a picture of your setup and the NFC board? we do test them so its unlikely it doesnt work, but libnfc is very finicky and seems to cause people problems (which is why we suggest using the board with a microcontroller)

I'm not sure if every example works with every chipset/config setting ... some gave me problems, and I believe nfc-list may be one of them. I'd really suggest using the nfc-poll command to see if that works.

The chip placement should fine. All boards are tested one by one before they are sent out, so I'm almost certain it's a config issue either with the FTDI cable or adapter you're using, or with the way libnfc was built. What are you using for your cable? Do you have TXD and RXD connected correctly? If you're not using an FTDI cable try switching the two pins, for example.

Thanks for the answers. I finally got a reply to an nfc-list command (by issuing two fast queries in debug mode). It seems to be a problem with the HSU wake up function implemented in libnfc which seems quite unreliable (maybe timing issues). So being the hardware 100% OK, I will try to solve my problem in the libnfc forums.

My problem is that I don't have much (close to none) experience with this kind of hardware. I only bought the board because I need to read and write mifare classic cards for my bachelor thesis and the discription for the board stated clearly that it would work with libnfc. Now I don't really know how to search for the error. The read led lights up when I connect the board but libnfc can't find the device. If anybody could point me in the right direction for a proper way to debug my setup or has an idea what I might have done wrong I would be really glad :?

It sounds like you're working from a setup that's different from our known-to-work configuration, so specific details count.

First, what kind of device are you using to communicate with the PN532? A Raspberry Pi, a general Linux computer, or something else?

Second, let's take a look at your hardware just to make sure nothing is out of place. You can attach a photo to a post (800 x 600 pixels is usually a good size), or put an image on a server you already know and put the URL between IMG tags.

When you void a product warranty, you give up your right to sue the manufacturer if something goes wrong and accept full responsibility for whatever happens next. And then you truly own the product.

I'm using Kali - Linux 64bit (http://www.kali.org/) to communicate with my device. It's based on debian.I also saw another thread where you criticized that the pin headers are not soldered to the board (http://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=37032). I also just put the headers loosly on the on the board (like I said, I have no experience with this kind of hardware :oops:). I will solder the connections properly and report back if that was the issue. Thanks for your help :D

Yes, the pins need to be soldered in place. The signals that move through them change quickly, and even the slightest bump will generate enough noise to kill the connection.

Do solder the headers. Use plenty of flux, put the tip of the iron in contact with both the pin and the copper pad on the circuit board, then touch the solder to the side of the pin away from the iron. Hot solder flows toward heat, and one of the most common problems people have when they first start soldering is that they touch the solder directly to the iron. They end up with a big glob of molten solder hanging from the iron and none on the parts that need to be connected, and then things just get worse.

Post a photo of the connections when you're done and we'll make sure they're good.

When you void a product warranty, you give up your right to sue the manufacturer if something goes wrong and accept full responsibility for whatever happens next. And then you truly own the product.

I have soldered the connections in place now and everything is working fine :D

Although I still had one other issue: Since the --enable-serial-autoprobe argument is no longer valid in libnfc > 1.7.0, I had to make a config file with the line "allow_intrusive_scan = true" in order for the breakout board to be found (as described here: https://code.google.com/p/libnfc/source/browse/NEWS). This might be useful for other beginners.